Dining out: ‘Top Chef,’ ‘Chopped’ champ teams up with The Graceful Ordinary for Big City Burger collab
Things are getting back to normal after the holidays, so why not stop that rut from forming and try something new? Head to St. Charles for The Graceful Ordinary’s Big City Burger Collab, where you can try a former “Top Chef” contestant’s Seoul Burger. It’s also National Steak Month, and we’re coming up on National Gluten-Free Day and National Rubber Ducky Day.
Big City Burger Collab 2.0
The folks at The Graceful Ordinary in St. Charles are teaming up with former “Top Chef” contestant and “Chopped” Casino Royale 2022 grand champion Kaleena Bliss to give suburbanites a taste of one of the most popular burgers at the 2024 Chicago Gourmet Food & Wine Festival.
Bliss, executive chef of the Chicago Athletic Association, and chef Chris Curren of The Graceful Ordinary will be serving up the Seoul Burger Jan. 17-26. It’s the second iteration of the TGO’s Big City Burger Collab following last year’s team up with Rob Levitt, head chef and butcher from Publican Quality Meats.
The 8-ounce Seoul Burger is topped with housemade white kimchi, ssamjang, sriracha-lime aioli, fresh cilantro, scallions and pickled Fresno chiles in a soft potato bun.
The $18 burger will be served from 4-5 p.m. during happy hour and after 9 p.m. on the late-night bar menu. It’s also available during lunch service on Saturday and brunch on Sunday.
National Steak Month
January is national steak month. If grilling is your preferred method of cooking steak and you don’t love doing it while it’s 10 degrees outside, maybe it’s a good reason to head out.
Roka Akor in Oak Brook is celebrating with a pair of special steak flights. An $85 prime flight comes with an 8-ounce skirt with sweet garlic soy, a 5-ounce New York strip with truffle aioli and a 4-ounce filet with chili ginger sauce.
The $185 World of Wagyu flight features a 4-ounce domestic Wagyu filet with chili ginger sauce, a 3-ounce Australian wagyu with truffle citrus wafu and a 3-ounce Japanese A5 Wagy Miyazaki Prefecture with ponzu wasabi. Both flights are served with whipped potatoes.
Both are available only in January.
If you’re trying your luck at American Place Casino in Waukegan, you can spend some of your winnings at North Shore Steaks & Seafood, which is approaching its first anniversary.
The restaurant offers a curated menu with aged steaks, including a 24-ounce, bone-in rib-eye, medallions of beef tenderloin and steak frites.
Speaking of national (fill-in-the-blank) days
These two couldn’t be more different.
Monday, Jan. 13, is National Gluten-Free Day, and Tievoli Pizza Bar in Palatine has introduced a new handmade gluten-free gnocchi just in time. Made from scratch with gluten-free flour from Italy, the gnocchi is served with either vodka or pomodoro sauce.
Tievoli also offers all their pizzas with gluten-free crust and has GF cookies and flourless cake for dessert.
Monday is also National Rubber Ducky Day. Food tie-in you ask? Duck Donuts will offer a stupenduck (their word) deal of a $12 Party Dozen, featuring a combo of strawberry, vanilla and chocolate confetti doughnuts.
The first 50 guests who purchase a $12 Party Dozen in stores will receive a limited-edition branded rubber duck. They have suburban locations in Geneva, Lake Zurich, Libertyville and Naperville.
Winter warm up
Preservation in Geneva has an excellent way to warm up a cold winter evening with its fondue night from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, in the restaurant’s front lounge. The $50 price includes a variety of foods to dip in a pair of fondue pots and a paired glass of wine. Tickets are available on Tock.
• Email dining news to rwest@dailyherald.com.